To Start Again
by Pixel Petal
Summary: My take on what may have taken place before Celestia banished Luna to the moon, set to the song "Calls Me Home" by Shannon LaBrie. Probably a worn out interpretation. Mostly a writing-dump.


_Yeah, I'm sure this has been done a thousand times over, but I've wanted to write a piece over the alicorn sisters' relationship ever since the episode first aired and I love this song to bits. Enjoy my mindless, sisterly love rambling. And the ponies. Enjoy those, too.  
_

_I own nothing. I am just a humble fanfiction writer._

_Celestia, Luna and all MLP;FIM relate things (c) Hasbro_

_"Calls Me Home" (c) Shannon LaBrie_

* * *

_It's funny how, the walk of life,__  
__Can take you down without a fight.__  
__So many years, can lay behind,__  
__Regretfully until it's time,__  
__To realize the moment,__  
__When you turn around._

Luna stared out the window, staring up at what was once _hers._ The full moon stared solemnly back at her. Tears slid down her cheeks.

_Why?_

Why couldn't their subjects see her_ pain_?

Why wouldn't they just look at_ her_ they way they did her _sister_?

Why didn't Celestia see_ her_ side?

Her hoof rolled the headpiece that lay before her, the metal shining in the moonlight with unspoken promise. It was said to have great power, a power strong enough to change one's fate if they so wished. The accompanying horseshoes and harness had already taken the place of her old tack. The pieces were an ill fit on her tiny frame, but they held nevertheless. Luna took the helm into her mouth, and with one final glance out the window, she left the library. None of the royal guards took notice as she slipped through the halls to her quarters. Her mind was decided.

_I'm coming home to breathe again,__  
__To start again,__  
__I'm coming home,__  
__From all the places I have been,__  
__With nothing but a voice within,__  
__That calls me, calls me home._

"Out of my way, you fools!" A bolt of purple magic shot past Celestia's doorway, carrying along with it a guard that had passed down the hall just prior. Before Celestia could stand from her seat on the bed, a tall black figure blocked the entry. Pink eyes scrutinized the black mass for a moment, until they landed on the other pony's cutie mark.

Her eyes widened in realization. "Luna, what have you done?"

The black mare leveled her with a condescending stare. "We have decided to take our powers back. We will teach our subjects to love the night, one way or another."

Flaring her wings outward, the enraged mare stood from her bed. "You know that the relics are forbidden!"

Luna rolled her eyes with a sneer. "Oblivious to our feelings as always. We will be taking our powers back now."

"You will do no such thing!" Celestia stomped her hoof, but her eyes had softened. "Luna, little sister, you don't understand."

A shot of dark magic struck Celestia. The force behind the blow knocked her through the wall of her bedroom and out into the night sky. "Oh, we understand clearly."

_Back in the day when I was younger,__  
__I was so lost and proud.__  
__I've gained the world but it will never,__  
__Compare to what I've earned.__  
__In the quiet moment,__  
__When the earth holds still._

The sky lit up with explosions of white and purple. Royal guards lay defeated on the ground below. The few that had recovered could only watch on in helpless awe. Celestia ducked under another shot. She was quickly becoming fatigued and desperation started to kick in. "Don't make me do this, Luna!" With a final burst from her wings, Celestia rocketed upward to the highest tower. She landed on the shingles and collapsed to her knees, panting hard.

"Giving up so soon, sister? We thought you may have put up a more worthy fight." Luna hovered before the white mare, triumphant. She stood before her fallen sister, forcing her to her side with her hoof. "As we said before; we will be taking our powers back now."

The shingles were rough on her skin, her white fur tinging a bright red in small lines. Tears welled in her eyes. "You've left me no choice." The raspy whisper blew away in the wind. Drawing on the last drops of energy she had left within her beaten body, Celestia charged the one spell that she vowed to use only as a last resort. It was a spell Luna knew very well.

"What are you-" Luna's eyes widened. "No!" She reared up, spreading her wings to take off and avoid the shot, but it was too late. The tower was engulfed in pure white light. Nothing, not even the moon, could be seen from below in the city of Canterlot. The light slowly died. Luna was nowhere to be seen. A dark crescent had taken shape on the moon. Celestia weeped openly on the rooftop as she stared at the dark gray shape mournfully. "I'm so sorry, Luna."

_I'm coming home to breathe again,__  
__To start again,__  
__I'm coming home,__  
__From all the places I have been,__  
__With nothing but a voice within,__  
__That calls me, calls me home._

Luna slid the rose lei from her withers with a sigh. She felt truly odd being in Equestria again, being in the castle again. She wanted nothing more then to go to her room and hide away in the darkest corner she could find. How could they forgive her so easily after all she had done? She trotted swiftly down the corridor, but no matter how fast she went, Luna couldn't escape their jovial faces. She didn't deserve such outright forgiveness.

Celestia walked in behind her after bidding a final farewell to the ponies outside. The elder sister turned just in time to catch a glimpse of Luna disappearing down the hall. Without a sound, she followed the filly. The mare of the moon turned to enter her room, but stopped just inside the doorway, shocked to see that the room was just as she left it. Nothing was smashed or torn, nothing had been thrown out. It was clean, as if she was expected to come home at any time. It brought tears to her eyes.

"I see you haven't forgotten the layout of our home." A warm voice teased lightly behind her. Luna dropped her head away, keeping her face out of sight. "Luna, look at me." Her teeth dug into her bottom lip and she shook her head. There was a sigh and the sound of soft hoofbeats came around her side, coming to a stop in front of her. "Look at me." Came the calm command. Blue eyes glanced up from under her lashes. Celestia smiled.

"I know it must be hard trying to come to terms with what has happened, but I'll be here with you. Every step of the way." Celestia's loving gaze became watery as she fought back the tears. "I won't let you down again, Luna."

Luna sniffled and rushed to her sister's neck, squeezing her eyes shut tight. "We were such a fool, sister." Celestia shushed her. "Enough of that. You can't hate yourself for feeling the way you did. We have both made mistakes, and we must both move beyond tem." Celestia pulled away from the embrace and draped a wing over her sister. "Come. We can sit by the fireplace in the study and catch you up on the times." Luna smiled.

"That sounds nice."

_I'm coming home to breathe again,__  
__To start again,__  
__I'm coming home to breathe again,__  
__To start again,__  
__I'm coming home,__  
__From all the places I have been,__  
__With nothing but a voice within,__  
__That calls me..._


End file.
